Tricky I.D Anybody?

GorillaReefer · #1 10/01/2005, 06:55 PM

I'm going to be fraging this coral for somebody and i just want to be sure i know what I'm giving him. The LFS i got it from said it was Rare, but you all know how that goes. I was told it was Green Sinularia, but now is it really a Green Nepthea or a Palau Nepthea. Hmmmmm Tricky. Anybody want to take a guess?

EricHugo · #2 10/01/2005, 09:32 PM

Looks like a Nephtea. but see soft coral ID faq at top of forum. There is no endemic Palauan Neptheid, to my knowledge...another aquarium myth.

Adam · #3 10/01/2005, 10:36 PM

GorillaReefer,

Not tricky at all... I have a very similar looking coral that IS sinularia. The behavior of the polyps will confirm....

If the polyps contract (close/collapse, curl against the side of the branch, but DO NOT withdraw into the flesh of the branch), it is a Nephtheid, probably Nephthea.

If the polyps retract (close/collapse, and completely withdraw into the flesh of the branch), it is sinularia.

There are so many stories about this particular coral (and/or it's look alikes), it is kind of funny. I believe the whole Palau endemic thing got started by the folks at GARF. In any case, it is possible that there are both Nephtheids and Sinularias that share this eerie green coloration and general colony morphology.

If you aren't sure about the contraction vs. retraction thing, take a close up pic of the colony when disturbed and post for confirmation.

Best Regards,

Adam

GorillaReefer · #4 10/01/2005, 10:46 PM

Thanks Adam, I will definitely try to get a pick of it with polyps retracted.

GorillaReefer · #5 10/01/2005, 11:11 PM

This is the best i could do for closeups. My camera skills are not that great.

Adam · #6 10/02/2005, 05:40 PM

GorillaReefer,

It is still a bit hard to tell from your pics, but I would say that those polyps are retracted, making it Sinularia.

Some corals do contract their polyps so tightly that they look retracted unless you look really close (Klyxum, colt coral is a great example), but in Nephtheids, the polyps are usually clearly outside of the main tissue of the branch.

HTH

Adam

GorillaReefer · #7 10/02/2005, 05:47 PM

Yeah the polyps are definitely retracted in the tissue of the coral, it's just hard to see in the pics I posted. Thank You for your help.

EricHugo · #8 10/03/2005, 05:53 PM

good job, Adam

Blastomussaman · #9 10/04/2005, 02:44 AM

Hmmm, now I'm vexed.

Eric, you ID my frag as Nepthea on the following thread.

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=667848

The polyps clearly fully retract as shown. Is it a sinularia?

Thanks again.

EricHugo · #10 10/04/2005, 07:49 AM

I never revisited the thread, but the original photos you osted that I responded to did not look like withdrawn polyps. Of course, these are characters that are genus-level and field ID techniques. I wouldn't be really comfortable with an ID without sclerite sampling on either of those corals, including the one in my tank.

massman · #11 10/04/2005, 08:06 AM

Blastomussaman,
Id ing soft corals is hard at best. Even after collecting thousands of corals, I'm still not certain of certain types.
Whilst Adam has given some sort of test, it is by no means definative.

My first impression I had when seeing the photo (and GorillaReefer)was that it was a Sinularia sp.
However, both B'man and GR might be Klyxum sp, Lemnalia sp, Paralemnalia sp or possibly even a Litophyton sp.
I came to my Sinularia decision with further examination (as best as I can with photos). This was futher reinforced given the amount of polyp retraction in the other photos, Lemnalia and Paralemnalia do not appear to retract to the sme degree as Sinularia. Litophyton would have more prominant spines along one side on the surface of the branches.

Having said that even taxonomists are considering grouping Litophyton and Nephthea together.

To help Id,a bit more, if the outer surface of the lower part feels rough, then it is more than likely Sinularia. Furthermore if you slice a small peice off the stalk, and the inside is covered with a complex spindle like arrangement that is easily seen it is definately a Sinularia and not Klyxum.

Good luck, and either way they are beautiful animals.

Blastomussaman · #12 10/04/2005, 11:12 AM

Lol. I know it's hard to ID, especially when mine was only a small frag. Just that Adam made it seem so clear cut and simple.

Seriously, it is important for me to know the ID because the care for Nepthea would be different then that of Sinularias. This frag came from a friend that had already lost a full colony therefore asked me to keep a frag just in case he loses his remaining one. I have other Sinularias and they are very hardy and easy to care for. Neptheas are the contrary hence the necessity.

As mentioned on my thread, I've observed the polyps quick contractions as if for food capture. The coral is slimy, not rough and leathery as supposed to other sinularias that I have. It's also quite fragile, doesn't take strong flow very well. Also, I have yet to witness any shedding.

Well, don't have much of a lower part right now and the frag is much too small to risk any cuttings. Guess I'll just have to wait it out.

Thanks.